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THE FINALISTS: Four companies will take the stage when YBI's annual Shark Tank fundraising event takes place Thursday, Oct. 29, at Mr. Anthony's Banquet Center in Boardman.
The competitors, announced earlier this month, are Daisy Makes -- a family-owned company based in Kent that created the patented Original Popper System and other 3D-printed tools designed for bakers; Homello -- a real estate app built by a Mahoning County real estate agent; Orhont Magnetics -- a Youngstown firm that develops high-power electric propulsion systems for harsh, highly constrained environments; and Vitruvian -- an Athens, Ohio, company that leverages 3D construction printing, large format additive manufacturing and advanced materials to inspire, educate, and construct communities.
Each of the four selected companies will receive a guaranteed $2,500 for making it to the stage, with a chance to win the $10,000 Shark's Choice award or the $5,000 Audience Choice Award. In total, sponsorship support will fund up to $25,000 in prizes.
This year's pitch competition will be emceed by Steve Vesey, co-anchor of WFMJ Today, with Jeff Ryznar, president and CEO of 898 Marketing, hosting the event's blue carpet interviews.
This year's Celebrity Shark Judges are Bergen Giordani, co-owner of Gorant Chocolates and the Dessert Bar at Gorant and owner of Sweet Marketing & Management; Ken Haidaris, owner of Sunrise Inn, concert promoter, and real estate investor; Tim Petrey, CEO of HD Growth Partners; Brianna Komara Pridon, co-owner of Komara Jewelers; Gregg Strollo, president of Strollo Architects; and Sterling Williams, owner of Sterling McCullough Williams Funeral Home.
For more information, visit ybi.org/sharktank.
NAMED TO BOARD: Leadership Mahoning Valley recently announced the appointment of Justin White, to its board of directors.
White is co-owner and CEO of Advanced Technology Partners, a Mahoning Valley firm that serves as the outsourced IT department for more than 100 local businesses. He is a graduate of Leadership Mahoning Valley's Class of 2025 and brings a wealth of professional expertise, experience, and a shared commitment to strengthening the Mahoning Valley.
"We are thrilled to welcome Justin to the Leadership Mahoning Valley Board and appreciate his willingness to serve," said JoAnn Stock, president. "His professional expertise and commitment to community will help guide our organization as we continue our growth and our important work of building strong leaders for the Mahoning Valley."
Board members of Leadership Mahoning Valley play a vital role in guiding the organization's strategic direction and ensuring its long-term growth and sustainability. Responsibilities include participation in quarterly board meetings, engagement in committee work, support of organizational initiatives, and a personal commitment to advancing LMV's mission.
"Justin bring will further strengthen our efforts to cultivate informed, connected, and engaged community leaders," said Paul Homick, chairman of the Leadership Mahoning Valley board of directors. "His dedication to this region and passion for leadership development will be instrumental as we continue to grow our impact."
He has participated in the organization's On Board training, a workshop series for nonprofit leaders and board members. Born and raised in McDonald, he still lives there today.
EXPANSION: Marquee Creatives, a Youngstown-based experiential marketing agency, has been selected to join Cleveland's JumpStart Inc. Preferred Partner Program.
The move expands the firm's work supporting entrepreneurs, startups and growing companies throughout Ohio.
JumpStart Inc. is a Cleveland-based nonprofit providing advising, resources, connections, and capital to help Ohio entrepreneurs and businesses grow. Its Preferred Partner Program connects participating startups with a vetted network of more than 200 professional service providers offering expertise in areas ranging from product development and legal services to marketing, finance, and growth strategy.
As a Preferred Partner, Marquee will provide strategic marketing and communications services including brand development, messaging and positioning, market research, website and landing page development, public relations, digital marketing, and launch-focused campaign support.
"Some of our favorite work begins when an entrepreneur has a great idea but needs help telling the story, reaching the right audience, and taking it to market," Aundréa Cika Heschmeyer, CEO and chief strategist at Marquee, said. "Being selected as a JumpStart Preferred Partner gives us an opportunity to bring strategy, creativity, and a hands-on approach to some of Ohio's most promising young companies."
JumpStart supports pre-seed and seed-stage companies as they develop products, validate markets, prepare for investment, and build scalable businesses. Participating companies can access discounted professional services and, depending on their JumpStart program, may also receive non-dilutive funding for eligible projects.
The partnership also strengthens Marquee's connection to Ohio's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.
SMART BUSINESS MOVE: Hynes Industries was named one of seven honorees in the "AI Implementers" category of the AI Impact Forum awards, presented Aug. 27 by Smart Business, a Cleveland-based media company covering Northeast Ohio's business community.
The category recognizes organizations using artificial intelligence within their own operations to produce measurable results.
Hynes Industries is a manufacturer of custom roll-formed and fabricated metal components with facilities in Youngstown and Painesville, Ohio, and Kokomo, Ind. The company was recognized for an automated, vision-based quality inspection system that allows for 100% inspections of tight tolerance parts.
"For a hundred years, Hynes has built its reputation by solving the problems other manufacturers walk away from," said Rick Organ, president and CEO of Hynes Industries. "Seeing our work recognized alongside the region's most sophisticated AI adopters says a lot about how far manufacturing in this region has come."
The system replaced a manual inspection process in which trained operators used handheld measurement tools to check parts coming off the line -- a process that took two to three minutes per part and tied up two to three people per shift. In its place, Hynes built a multicamera, multilaser inspection cell that checks perpendicularity, hole placement, dimensional tolerances and feature geometry on every part in real time, matching or exceeding the precision of manual measurement at a cycle time of 15 to 20 seconds per part -- a reduction of more than 85%. Parts that pass are routed automatically to palletizing robots; parts that don't are flagged for rework, with quality data logged automatically for every cycle.
FOUNDATION ADDITIONS: The Raymond John Wean Foundation announced recently the addition of two staff members: Marissa Price as program officer, grantmaking, and Tami Kendra-Romito as associate of operations.
Price most recently served as program site manager of the Youngstown office of Equitas Health, a statewide community healthcare system in Ohio. In that role, she led a team of social work professionals in assisting HIV+ patients, ensuring access to life-saving medication and support services.
Price also brings experience in sales and community relations to the program officer role. A resident of Poland, Price is working toward a bachelor's degree in public health from Kent State University, with an anticipated graduation date of 2028.
"I hope to bring energy and new perspectives to the Wean Foundation and to be a resource for communities that need support," Price said.
Raised in Girard, Kendra-Romito spent 24 years in Los Angeles, working in administrative and program-based roles for the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, one of the country's top-ranked hospitals. Her most recent role there was as neurology - neuromuscle program administrator, where she supervised a multidisciplinary team of more than 20 specialists. While in Los Angeles, Kendra-Romito also served on the city-appointed Women's Advisory Board for the City of West Hollywood, bringing issues concerning women to the attention of the City Council. She returned to the Mahoning Valley in 2023.
"I'm excited to bring my organizational skill set and joy for building community to the Wean Foundation," Kendra-Romito said.
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